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How Polite Are We?
Out of 36 cities, Vienna is Number 14?From Thailand to Finland, from Buenos Aires to London, people worry courtesy is becoming a thing of the past. Service in stores has become surly, they say, and youngsters have lost respect for their elders. Lynne Truss, in her international bestseller Talk to the Hand, claims that we live in “an age of lazy moral relativism combined with aggressive social insolence” where common courtesies are “practically extinct.”
But is such pessimism justified?
Our Three Tests
We sent out undercover reporters—half of them men, half women—from Reader’s Digest editions in 35 countries to assess the citizens of their biggest cities.
To this question “Do you think Austrians are polite and courteous?” I answered Yes. Now this is just from my own personal experiences but I have been living here for 13 years and I have rarely had any problems when dealing with Austrians in the public service and retail world. The few run- ins that I have had were with people who are here from some of the former Yugoslavian countries. But 99% of the time I have dealt with polite and courtious Austrians. 🙂
That was interesting to see that New York City was number one on that list as being the top courtious city. I noticed that Los Angeles didn’t make the list but then I somehow knew it wouldn’t. There are a lot of rude people in L.A. and now they are even worse due to the 100° plus heat wave that’s been there for the last month. 😡
I do not think that Austrians are polite at all! In fact, while business people seem to have a disinterest altogether (which I guess could be interpreted as polite) the general public seems to be extremely rude and discourtious!
Funny you should post this, because I was just about to ask a question about the noise level and ordinance in the city. It is 11:00 in the morning on a Monday. My two teenage daughters get into an argument (as teenagers will) and the neighbor across the street starts clapping and shouting at them to be silent or he will call the police.
Now, while I admit that the sound of teenagers arguing is not my favorite sound, I hardly felt they were loud enough to justify a call to the police. This particular neighbor has been a pain in our ass since the day we moved in. 7pm one evening we were putting together furniture and hammered for about 10 min. and the same thing Clapping and yelling at us to be quiet. We had a party one night (Saturday and it was about 9pm) and we started laughing about something (NO music playing or anything) and he starts yelling at us to be quiet.
I was told that a noise ordinance was in effect from 10pm each evening until 7am. Is this correct. If not what is the ordinance and if so, what in the h#&% is this guy’s problem!
I think the Viennese are really rude. In another post someone mentioned that those without children were the ones who seemed to have fewer rudeness dealings with the Viennese and I believe it.
In my experience people here have no tolerance for children– for example I was recently the last one off a tram at the end stop the other day– no one else on the tram and no one waiting for the tram– when I asked the driver for help with my fold-up stroller (any kind of stroller is impossible without help on those old trams– and my line doesn’t have any of the flat ones- grr!) I was told I shouldn’t go on his tram if I expect him to get off to help me (interesting how he had no problem stepping out of his tram for his cigarette!)
It’s lots of little things– like being told off by the postal clerk for having the audacity to come in and want to mail things (at a post office– gasp!) 15 minutes before the posted closing time or getting snapped at when the grocery store again doesn’t have any milk out and one dares to ask if there might be any more in the back. Honestly I find living here tiring because the little incidences of rudeness get old very fast. It’s true that Americans can be a bit superficial but at least there when I’ve been back with my child no one tells me off for taking my child somewhere (they even have facilities for kids– things like changing tables, a rarity here), clerks are willing to be helpful, and all in all it’s just a more pleasant experience. I think there are many nice things in Vienna and in Austria– for example, I like many of the cultural institutions– but I don’t think Vienna wins high points for politeness or ease of daily life.
I can’t speak for Vienna as I live in Tulln. I have to say that I haven’t had a bad exoerience here. People greet you with a Gruscott when you go in a shop and ask if you need help and say Auf Wiedersehen when you go out. Also if it’s the weekend they will wish you a good weekend. Ususally they have a smile on their face too.
When I first lived here I noticed that a lot of people who didn’t know each other greeted each other on the street but I’m finding this to be less and less now in Tulln.
When I’ve been hiking whenever we passed an Austria either oneof us would greet each other which was nice and sometimes you enter into a brief conversation with them.
Also I accidently dropped a cardigan somewhere and realised 5 mins later and went back and I found it nicely put on a post – I don’t think you get that in many countries.
So on the whole I don’t think Austria is too bad.I think that it really depends on where you live here as to how nice the natives are. When living in a large city like Vienna, as compared to a small town or a village, you’ll see the difference. While going for a walk with a friend who lives in Tattendorf (near Baden) we would see other people in passing and they all greeted us with a “Guten Tag” or a “Grüß Gott”. This is normal in many places outside the larger cities.
Now I have gone walking in some parts of my district (the 19th) and I have come across some people who have also said to me in passing guten Tag or grüß Gott. On a couple of occasions I have even stopped and had a chat with these polite Viennese strangers. Believe it or not. 🙂
There is only the choice to vote yes or no?? How about ‘Depends on the person/time of day/location’ etc?
I find that the everyday Austrian on the street that I don’t know from Adam usually 60% of the time isn’t very nice. Then I have to decide if they are actually ‘Austrian’ (toursits can be really rude!). Also it depends where I am. If I am in a certain district I find people are ruder. Also the time of day doesn’t help….7am in the tram is not a good time to find a friend.
However all the Austrians I know or have been introduced to are really nice. I think only 1% have been rude but usually it is a mutual thing 🙂
Amber – totally agree with you. It is extremely dependent on circumstance.
I have no experience with being a mother and trying to cope with those aspects, so I will take the more experienced’s word for this being less than pleasant. But I have met some very nice people, even strangers, who have opened doors, helped me carry stuff, given me exceptional service in shops (!) etc. And I have met the total opposite; rude, unpleasant, only worthy of being flushed down the nearest loo.
A bit like London really. And Edinburgh. And Oslo. And Copenhagen. And Houston. And now I have run out of ‘places I have lived’.
But I do miss the English style of humour… THAT I have only found in England!
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